New York Knicks: Top 10 NBA Draft picks in franchise history

2. Walt “Clyde” Frazier (PG) – No. 5 pick in 1967 NBA Draft

Career stats (with the Knicks):  759 GP, 19.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.0 STL, 0.2 BLK, 49.2 FG%, 78.3 FT%

Before he was talking about “swishin and dishin” on the Knicks’ local television commentary team, Walt Frazier was doing that and more on the court. “Clyde” was the definition of cool in the 1970s as the not only the point guard of the two-time champion Knicks, but an icon fashion-wise. His play and flair for the game led to memorable moments on the court, but none were bigger than his performance during Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals.

Frazier posted a game-high 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds in the championship-clinching victory over Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlin and the mighty Los Angeles Lakers.

Frazier would go on to be selected to seven straight NBA All-Star teams and NBA All-Defensive First Teams. Another iconic moment from Clyde was his hip style, leading him to becoming the first player to endorse a sneaker, according to his 2011 interview with Vanity Fair.

"“I was the first guy to endorse a sneaker. At that time, they were giving guys the shoes but they weren’t paying them to wear them. So Puma came to me, and I think my first deal was $5,000—all the shoes I could wear. “And then right after that, we won the championship, so they came out with the suede versions. The most popular one was the blue suede with the white stripe. That’s when they really took off. We didn’t even need the rest of the country, we sold so many shoes in the tri-state area. Those shoes personified ‘cool.'”"

At the time of his retirement, Frazier held Knicks franchise records for most games, minutes played, field goals attempted, field goals made, free throws attempted, free throws made, assists and points.